Sylvia Robinson -

Sylvia Robinson (May 29, 1935 — September 29, 2011) was an American singer, songwriter, producer, and entrepreneur from New York who first recorded in the early 1950s as Little Sylvia. Between 1955 and 1958, she cut eleven singles as half of the R&B duo Mickey & Sylvia, which scored a 1956 crossover hit with “Love Is Strange.”

In 1973, she reemerged as a solo artist with Pillow Talk, followed by the 1976/77 albums Sylvia and Lay It On Me. All three albums appeared on Vibration, her self-established division of All Platinum Enterprises.

Background

She was born Sylvia Vanterpool on May 29, 1935, in Harlem, the fifth child and third daughter borne to Herbert and Ida Vanterpool, a migrant couple from St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands.^[1]

Little Sylvia

At age 14, she left school to start her music career under the stage name Little Sylvia. Backed by the Heywood Henry Orchestra, she issued her first single, the sax-driven proto-rocker “Little Boy” (b/w “How Long Must I Be Blue”), in 1951 on Savoy Records. Despite her young age at the time of recording, she delivers the song in a full-voice mezzo.

In 1952, she issued two songs on Atlantic-subsidiary Jubilee with backing by Buddy Lucas and His Band of Tomorrow: the bare, emotive ballad “A Million Tears” (b/w “I Found Somebody to Love”) and the boogie-woogie piano rocker “Drive Daddy Drive” (b/w “I Went to Your Wedding”). Her third Jubilee single, 1953’s “The Ring,” features her first co-writing credit (as Vanderpool) on the romantic, cocktail-ballad b-side “Blue Heaven.”

Her final single with the “Little” prefix, the guitar/sax boogie-rocker “Fine Love” (b/w the brisk jump-blues “Speedy Life”), appeared in 1954 on Atlantic-subsidiary Cat. The record is co-credited to Mickey Baker and His Band.

Mickey & Sylvia

Baker taught Sylvia guitar and they formed the R&B/rock duo Mickey & Sylvia. In 1955, they issued three singles on Rainbow Records: “I’m So Glad” (b/w “Se De Boom Run Dun”), “Rise Sally Rise” (b/w “Forever and a Day”), and “Where Is My Honey” (b/w “Seems Like Just Yesterday”).

As rock n’ roll broke nationally in 1956, Mickey & Sylvia issued two singles on RCA-subsidiary Groove: “No Good Lover” (b/w “Walkin’ in the Rain”) and “Love Is Strange” (b/w “I’m Going Home”). With its Bo Diddley riff, “Love Is Strange” topped the R&B chart and scaled the upper-reaches of Billboard (#11) and Cash Box (#7) in early 1957.

On the Groove follow-through label Vik, Mickey & Sylvia issued four 1957 singles: “Two Shadows On Your Window” (b/w “Love Will Make You Fail In School”), “Where Is My Honey” (b/w “There´ll Be No Backin´Out”), “There Oughta Be a Law” (b/w “Dearest”), and “Love Is a Treasure” (b/w “Let’s Have a Picnic”).

In 1958, the pair issued two further Vik singles: “It’s You I Love” (b/w “True True Love”) and “Bewildered” (b/w “Rock and Stroll Room”). After one single on RCA, “Oh Yeah! Uh Huh” (b/w “To the Valley”), Mickey & Sylvia briefly parted ways. In May 1959, she married businessman Joseph Robinson Sr., with whom she’d remain until his death in 2000.

In 1960, she issued a one-off single as Sylvia Robbins on Moonglow: the string-laden, 12-bar pop drama “Frankie and Johnny” (b/w “Come Home”). That same year, she produced the single “You Talk Too Much” for R&B singer Joe Jones.

(more to come…)

Pillow Talk

Sylvia released her first solo studio album, Pillow Talk, in 1973 on Vibration.

The album presents sensuous, intimate soul, pairing soft funk, folk, and disco-tinged arrangements with Sylvia Robinson’s breathy, emotive vocals. It introduces her signature style of cooing and moaning through romantic and erotic material while updating classic R&B compositions for a contemporary context.

Robinson co-wrote the majority of the material with Michael Burton. She covers Holland-Dozier-Holland on “Don’t Leave Me Starving” and revisits The Moments compositions on “My Thing” and “Not on the Outside.”

Musically, the album balances intimate ballads, updated soul classics, and rhythmically dynamic originals. The title track delivers whispery, erotic phrasing; “Sunday” and “Not on the Outside” reinterpret Moments originals with airy, lullaby-like delivery; “Don’t Leave Me Starving” offers sharper, more contoured turns, and “Had Any Lately” provides concise, radio-ready energy.

A1. “Pillow Talk” (4:20)
A2. “Give It Up in Vain” (3:55)
A3. “Sunday” (3:08)
A4. “Don’t Leave Me Starving” (2:51)
A5. “My Thing” (2:45) originated on My Thing, the 1972 album by The Moments

B1. “Didn’t I” (3:30)
B2. “Had Any Lately” (2:55)
B3. “Not on the Outside” (6:45) originated on the 1969 debut Moments album.
B4. “Cowards Way Out” (3:15) originated as a 1968 Sylvia-produced single by Lezli Valentine; written by Bert Keyes and Rose McCoy.

The sessions feature strings, piano, and electric piano by Sammy Love; bass by Frank Prescod; congas by Craig Perry; drums by Yogi Horton; lead and rhythm guitar by Billy Jones; and vocals, acoustic guitar, production, arrangements, and mixing by Sylvia Robinson. Michael Burton co-produces, arranges, mixes, and engineers.

Sessions occurred in February 1973. The album generated singles “Pillow Talk” b/w “My Thing” (No. 1 R&B, No. 3 Hot 100/Canada) and “Didn’t I” b/w “Had Any Lately” (No. 21 R&B). Pillow Talk reached No. 16 on the R&B Albums Chart.

1973–75 singles

Between 1973 and 1975, Sylvia issued six singles on Vibration and one on All Platinum.

In September 1973, she released “Alfredo” b/w “If You Get the Notion” (Vibration VI-527), followed in October by “Private Performance” b/w “If You Get the Notion” (Vibration VI-528). February 1974 saw Sylvia and the Moments issue “Sweet Stuff” b/w “Had Any Lately” (Vibration VI-529), which reached No. 16 on the R&B chart.

In April 1974, she released “Sho Nuff Boogie” Parts I and II on All Platinum (AP-2350). May 1974 brought “Easy Evil” b/w “Give It Up in Vain” (Vibration VI-530), and November 1974 featured “Gimme a Little Action” b/w “Next Time I See You,” the latter originating on the 1974 Moments album Those Sexy Moments (Vibration VI-512).

In June 1975, she issued “Pussy Cat” b/w “Pussy Cat (Instrumental)” (Vibration VI-536), written by H. Ray, A. Goodman, and W. Morris.

Sylvia (1976)

Sylvia released her self-titled second studio album in 1976 on Vibration.

The album continues Sylvia Robinson’s exploration of sensual, intimate soul, following the template she established on Pillow Talk. It mixes original compositions with reinterpretations of contemporary R&B tracks, balancing languid, whispered vocals with more rhythmically driven numbers.

Sylvia Robinson and Michael Burton wrote the majority of the material. She includes the pre-released “Next Time That I See You” and cultivates songs by Marvin Gaye (“You Sure Love to Ball”) and Gwen McCrae (“He Don’t Ever Lose His Groove”).

The album alternates between languid, erotic numbers and tighter, rhythm-focused tracks. Side A opens with the contoured pulse of “L.A. Sunshine” and moves into the overtly intimate “You Sure Love to Ball” and the rhythmic cover “He Don’t Ever Lose His Groove.” Side B emphasizes percussion and tempo shifts with “Sweet Stuff” and the lounge-tinged “Taxi” and “Mr. Bartender.” She closes with the elegant ballad “Standing at the End.”

A1. “L.A. Sunshine” (3:40)
A2. “You Sure Love to Ball” (5:49) originated on Gaye’s 1973 album Let’s Get It On.
A3. “He Don’t Ever Lose His Groove” (5:05) originated on Gwen McCrae’s 1975 album Rockin’ Chair.
A4. “Next Time That I See You” (4:53)

B1. “Sweet Stuff” (4:24)
B2. “Taxi” (4:07)
B3. “Mr. Bartender” (4:02)
B4. “Standing at the End” (3:45) Brother to Brother guitarist Michael Burton co-wrote this with Intruders singer Phil Terry.

Sylvia Robinson and Michael Burton produced the album, with Burton engineering and mixing sessions. Tracks 1, 2, and 8 were recorded at House of Music, West Orange, N.J., while tracks 3–7 were recorded at All Platinum Studios, Englewood, N.J.

The HoM sessions featured guitarist John Tropea and synth programming by Larry Fast (aka Synergy) and Fireballet associate Brian Cuomo, plus backing vocals by the Ellington Sisters, who also appear on Norma Jenkins‘ 1976 album Patience Is a Virtue.

Dudley Thomas handled art direction, Pierre Laroche managed makeup, and Bill King provided photography.

Vibration lifted “L.A. Sunshine” as a single with “Taxi.”

Sweet Stuff

In 1977, Vibration issued Sweet Stuff, a compilation of old Sylvia single sides and recent album cuts.

A1. “I Can’t Help It” (3:27) – non-album 1967 a-side
A2. “Coward’s Way Out” (3:15) – originally a 1968 Sylvia-produced single by Lezli Valentine (Keyes/McCoy)
A3. “The Notion” (3:34) – her 1973 b-side “If You Get the Notion.”
A4. “Private Performance” (2:15) – non-album single, Vibration VI-528 (1973)
A5. “Sho Nuff Boogie” (2:59) – single, All Platinum AP-2350 (1974)

B1. “Alfredo” (2:54) – non-album single, Vibration VI-527 (1973)
B2. “Love Is the Only Thing” (2:17) – previously unreleased
B3. “Soul Je T’Aime” (3:35) – her 1973 collaborative single with Ralfi Pagan.
B4. “Next Time I See You” (3:05) – originally on Those Sexy Moments (1974, The Moments), also included on Sylvia (1976)
B5. “Pussycat” (2:42) – single, Vibration VI-536 (1975)

Lay It on Me

Sylvia released her third and final studio album, Lay It on Me, in 1977 on Vibration.

The album extends Sylvia Robinson’s exploration of extended, rhythmically dense disco tracks, combining sultry vocal delivery with long-form arrangements. It mixes original material with reinterpretations of her earlier Mickey & Sylvia hit “Love Is Strange” and includes a playful television-theme adaptation.

Sylvia Robinson co-wrote the majority of the material alongside M. Moore, R. Tate, and T. Keith. Secondary songwriting contributions include B. Patterson on “Fingers Do the Walking,” John Cacavas on “The Lollipop Man (Kojak Theme ’77),” and Robinson alone on “Stop (Boy).”

The record divides between elongated, slinky dance tracks and theatrical or nostalgic reinterpretations. Side A opens with the title track’s extended disco pulse, moves into the Kojak-theme adaptation with double-entendre lyrics, and peaks with the tightly wound rhythm of “Fingers Do the Walking.” Side B emphasizes playful and revisited material, including the disco remake of “Love Is Strange,” the panting intimacy of “Stop (Boy),” and closes with the compact, rhythmic “Queen Bee.”

A1. “Lay It on Me” (7:32)
A2. “The Lollipop Man (Kojak Theme ’77)” (4:50)
A3. “Fingers Do the Walking” (7:50)

B1. “Love Is Strange” (6:49)
B2. “Stop (Boy)” (4:50)
B3. “Queen Bee” (3:15)

Sylvia Robinson and Tommy Keith produced the album, with Donnie Elbert producing select tracks. Sessions occurred at All Platinum Studios, Englewood, N.J., with Sylvia Robinson, Vinnie Castellano, Barry Diament, and Lealand Robinson engineering and mixing. Phil Austin cut the lacquer.

Dudley Thomas handled art direction and design, and Bert Andrews provided photography.

In Italy, Philips reissued the album as Automatic Lover in 1978, appending her June 1978 single “Automatic Lover.”

Discography: